Morphological Computation

Question 1

What is embodiment?

Answer 1

The viewpoint that the body is not an obstacle for solving problems, but rather a means of doing so. It revolves around bridging the disconnect between the physical body being separate too the central controller when solving problems.

Question 2

Give some examples of morphological computation in nature.

Answer 2

• Dead trout swimming in flowing water
• Spine in mammals controlling the mechanical properties of the legs
• Deceberate cat can explicit 3 different gaits on a treadmill

Question 3

Give some examples of morphological computation in robotics.

Answer 3

• Coffee balloon gripper

- Buildings that can sense their environment and adjust their services accordingly

Question 4

What are the advantages of morphological computation?

Answer 4

• Fewer feedback errors
• Increased robustness of control system
• Adaptability to new environments
• Fast behaviour optimisation
• Energy efficiency

Question 5

What are the disadvantages of morphological computation?

Answer 5

• Inflexibility, harder to reprogram a morphological system
• Flexibility can be improved by incorporating morphosis. This can be achieved with variable compliant actuators and damping mechanisms.